Weight Loss Tips for Teens

Your teenage years can be the happiest time of your life. Spending time with your friends or going to parties may be all you have to think about. You won’t have to face the responsibility of making a living for yourself for a few years yet, so you can concentrate on having fun–unless you’re a bit overweight, then it can become an exercise in frustration. You may feel like people are staring at you, or you simply want to feel better about yourself. If that sounds familiar, you may be interested in these weight loss tips for teens.

Accept What You Are

We live in an age where some people seem to view a few extra pounds as unsightly, or even ugly. If you’re not built like a runway model, some people look down on you. Unfortunately, there are a few people who have a body shape that gives the appearance of being bulky, even though they may not actually be carrying any extra pounds. Not everyone is built the same way. It is necessary for everyone to accept their body the way it is. If you have a bulkier body shape and try to lose weight in order to look like a model, you may actually damage your health. You need to accept yourself the way you are.

Exercise Regularly

A proven way to lose weight is to exercise regularly. If you’re not used to exercising, you should start off slowly and gradually progress to the point where you can participate in a vigorous workout program. People who want to lose weight fast by exercising frequently overdo their routine and pull a muscle or strain a tendon. If you do that, you won’t be able to work out for awhile. The time you spend recovering from the physical damage you caused to yourself will delay your intended weight loss schedule. You would be much better off to start with a light workout the first couple of days, and then progress to a more strenuous regimen. Once your body is used to the exercise, you should perform your routine on a regular basis. After you’re able to work out regularly, it will make losing weight much easier.

Eat the Right Foods

Another part of the equation–something that you’ll need to do in order to lose weight effectively–is to eat the right foods. Going on a diet is all well and good, but you must be sure the foods that you’re eating contain the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals that you’ll need in order to become healthy. You will need to cut down on your calorie intake–but reducing calories may actually hurt you unless they’re the type of empty calories your body won’t miss.

What Not to Eat

Among the things you need to stay away from if you hope to lose weight are foods that contain a lot of saturated fats. That means no more trips to the local fast food joints, unless you have a salad or some other healthy option. Burgers and fries contain a lot of saturated fats, as do pizza and burritos. Anything that contains a lot of empty calories won’t benefit you and could actually cause you to gain weight.

Healthy Food Choices

The types of food that will help you lose weight, and will also improve your overall health, are those that contain few calories yet have an abundant amount of vitamins and minerals, which your body needs. Fruits and vegetables are among the types of food you should include in your diet. They are nutritious. Eating fruit as a between meal snack will help defeat the hunger pangs you may experience and keep you from gorging yourself on unhealthy snacks, such as potato chips or candy. Sugar may make you feel energetic, but if you have too much it will not only make you feel lethargic, but will add weight. Use it judiciously.

Don’t Go to Extremes

Losing weight is all well and good, but you don’t want to hurt yourself in the process. If you intend to lose weight, you should do it slowly and methodically. Going on a starvation diet will ultimately cause you more harm than good. Even if you lose a lot of weight, your overall health will suffer. Instead, you should combine a healthy diet with the proper amount of exercise, and lose the weight over an extended period of time. That will allow your body to adjust, and you’ll find it easier to maintain your new healthy lifestyle.